Recent developments in organocatalytic dynamic kinetic resolution

The goal of this review is to collect the major developments in organocatalytic dynamic kinetic resolution reported since the beginning of 2011, well illustrating that the synthetic scope of these powerful processes allowing the resolution of racemic compounds with up to 100% yield has been widely expanded in the last five years. Indeed, an important number of chiral organocatalysts are now available that afford excellent levels of stereocontrol in a myriad of transformations evolving through dynamic kinetic resolution that could only previously be achieved by using biocatalysts. This review is divided into six sections, according to the different types of organocatalytic activation modes employed in these reactions, such as aminocatalysis, N-heterocyclic carbene catalysis, hydrogen-bonding catalysis, Brønsted acid catalysis, Brønsted base catalysis, and Lewis base catalysis.